The Railway 200 celebrations, which took place in 2025, were the largest railway-related celebrations ever seen across the globe.

Exhibitions, gatherings and activities took place across five continents in over 180 countries, telling the history of the railways and how they have shaped the modern world over the last two centuries. There was also a look to the future showing how they may evolve in the years to come.

The events attracted a huge profile through the media, online, on TV and in newspapers. Over 9,000 positive campaigns were detected by media monitoring records, which collectively reached 20.6 billion people worldwide.

Here in the UK, a public summary of last year’s Railway 200 events will be released later this spring. Early figures have already shown that railway celebrations across the UK were the biggest ever seen in the UK in a single calendar year.

2025 began with a whistle-up across the many preserved railways on New Year’s Day, which has been described by the HRA as the biggest heritage rail participation event seen in Britain. The Royal Mint also released a limited edition two-pound coin marking the event.

March saw the launch of S&DR 200 events. April saw the first tickets for the Inspiration Train go on sale, before it made its debut on the Severn Valley Railway. Since then, it has travelled across the country, visiting many stations and heritage railways.

The train had attracted over 60,000 people by the end of 2025, and encouraged 100,000 young people to consider a job in the rail industry. It has also gained a 9 out of 10 recommendation rating from visitors, and the Inspiration Train will continue its tour of the country until June 2026.

A railway 200 Community Rail Week took place in May 2025, while the three-month ‘Railway 200 @ at the Bluebell Railway’ event began in June.

August saw the Greatest Gathering at Derby Litchurch Lane, where over 42,000 people flocked to see trains that had graced the UK rail network over the last 200 years. Later that month, a Great Western Railway battery-powered train set a world record for travelling over 200 miles on a single charge.

September hosted the anniversary date of the first train to run on the Stockton and Darlington on the 27th of the month. The build-up to the event was highly anticipated, with documentaries being shown on TV, including Michael Portillo’s two-part series ‘200 Years of Railways’.

The crowning highlight, held on the anniversary weekend, was a replica of Locomotion performing a re-enactment run from Shildon to Stockton along much of the route that the original Locomotion took in 1825. The event was witnessed by thousands of people who turned out both day and night to witness the pioneering replica on its short train. In one week, over 100,000 people visited Shildon, and the museum at Hopetown also saw very high visitor numbers.

The Poet Laureate launched a commemorative poem, seven sites were listed by Historic England as part of Railway 200, and Royal Mail launched its Railway 200 stamps.

October saw a blue plaque unveiled on Thomas the Tank Engine’s creator, Rev Awdry’s, former home, and the new station at Ashington won the World Cup of Stations. The first industry-wide remembrance service took place in November, which was attended by HM The Queen. A Railway 200 contingent is to participate in the march past at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday to remember the fallen.

The year of events finished in December with the burying of a Railway 200 time capsule at Deby College, and Railway 200 winning the ‘Contribution to Tourism’ award from VisitEngland.

“By any measure the bicentenary celebration was an unqualified success, thanks to the many people and organisations who became history-makers by getting involved. It brought the rail industry together, inspired people to re-evaluate rail’s role and showcased the railway as a varied and rewarding career open to all.  It helped to build considerable goodwill towards, and restore pride in, a British invention that changed the world. 

The legacy of the campaign is being evaluated for the industry to build upon, but has included new progressive partnerships, new public artworks, new career pathways, and stronger links between mainline and heritage railways.  Railway 200 has set the standard for other countries’ national rail celebrations in the years ahead.” 

Emma Roberts, programme manager for Railway 200

“The campaign is a case study in collaboration. It’s been amazing to see what was only a notion two years or so ago develop into an international campaign with scale, substance and significance.   

Thanks to our many partners, the campaign realised its ambition of becoming the UK’s biggest rail story told by the UK’s biggest rail partnership.  It’s a privilege to have been involved.” 

Alan Hyde, who led marketing and communications for the Railway 200 national team